Car-seal.



G. E. FOX.

OAR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1909.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

CHARLES E. FOX, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO H. SANDERS AND ONE-FOURTH TO 0. EAST, BOTH OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR-SEAL.

Application filed November 5, 1909.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. F OX, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Seals, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a seal for useln connection with the doors of railway cars, and more particularly those cars utilized for the transportation of freight, and which seal is adapted to indicate safety of the contents of the cars, if it remains unbroken, and to serve as a telltale respecting tampering with the car, in the event that it is broken.

Figure I is a perspective view of my seal as it appears when in service. Fig. II is a perspective view of the seal bow. Fig. III is a view of the lower end of the seal bow and the seal block, with the bow and a portion of the seal block shown in elevation, and the remainder of the seal block shown in section. Fig. IV is a cross section taken on line IV-IV, Fig. III. Fig. V is an enlarged perspective view of the seal block.

In the accompanying drawings :1 designates the block of my seal, which is preferably made of wood, although it may be made of any other suitable material into which barbs, such as those present in the bow of my seal, may become embedded in the manner to be hereinafter set forth. The block 1 is provided with a bore 2 extending directly therethrough from top to bottom of the block, and which is preferably of circular shape. At points diametrically opposite each other in the block and extending into its body from the bore 2 are grooves 3, which are widest at the bottom of the block and are tapered gradually toward the top of the block so that said grooves, in connection with the bore 2, serve to produce a tapering way into which the ends of the seal bow, to be presently described, may enter. In one side of the seal block is a slot 4 that extends to the bore 2 and serves as a passageway for the seal bow.

5 designates a seal bow which is adapted to be applied to the member that is to be protected by the seal, and which comprises a fiat strip of metal, preferably sheet metal,

Specification of Letters Patent.

other, and having grip members 6.

Patented Feb. 22, 1%10.

Serial No. 526,381.

which is bent intermediate of its ends to provide a pair of arms parallel with each The grip members of the bow are of tapering shape, being widest at their terminations, and being gradually narrowed for such speclfic distance as may be found proper, according to the length of the grooves 3 in the seal block. One of the grip members of the seal bow is provided with a tongue 7, made integral therewith and extending toward the other grip member of the bow, which other end is provided with an aperture 8, into which the tongue may enter for the purpose of alining the two members. Each grip member of the bow is provided with a plurality of barbs 9, extending outwardly relative to the outer face of said member.

In the practical use of my seal, the bow 5 is adapted to be passed through or over the member that it is to serve as a security attachment for, the application of the bow to such member being efiected prior to the application of the seal block to the bow. The arms of the bow are then brought together as they appear in Fig. I, whereby the tongue 7 carried by one of the end grip members is caused to enter into the aperture 8 in the other grip member to aline said grip members. The seal block is then applied to the bow by passing the arms of the bow through the slot 4- in the block which is presented to the bow above its grip portions, and whereby the arms of the bow are caused to enter into the bore 2 to be turned therein so that they occupy a position at a right angle to the position occupied when passing into the bore and are in alinement with the grooves 3 in the seal block. The seal block is then moved longitudinally of the bow, with the result that its grip members are caused to enter into the tapering grooves 3, and their barbs are embedded into the block at the sides of said grooves. These barbs being presented outwardly and longitudinally of the bow in a direction toward its ends, it is obvious that after they have become embedded in the block, it is impossible for the block to be removed from the bow, inasmuch as the barbs hold the block from movement in a backward direction and the grip members of the bow being of tapering shape, serve to prevent the withdrawal of the block, by moving it in the direction 1 in which it is moved to provide for the engagement of the barbs with the block.

I claim 1. In a seal of the character described, a bow having a pair of barbed grip members, and a block having a single way therein to receive both of the grip members of said bow, the block being providedwith a slot leading through a side thereof to said way through which both arms of said bow may be introduced into said way.

2. In a seal of the character described, a bow having barbed grip portions, one of said portions being provided with a tongue extending toward the other portion, and the other portion having an aperture to receive said tongue whereby the portions are alined,

and a block provided with a bore and grooves in communication with said bore and having a passageway in a side thereof and into which block said grip portions are adapted to be drawn through said passage- In a seal of the character described, a bow having barbed grip portions widest at their termmations and tapering inwardly longitudinally of the bow, anda block having a passageway in a side thereof and having a tapering way therein communicating with said passageway and adapted to receive said grip portions.

CHAS. E. FOX. In the presence of A. J. MCGAULEY, E. B. LINN. 

